How-To Geek
4 Hidden Android Easter Eggs: From Gingerbread to Jelly Bean
Each version of Android since Gingerbread (Android 2.3) has included an Easter egg, which is always accessed in the same way. The Easter eggs in the latest versions are becoming more complex, with animations and interactivity.
Android’s Easter eggs pay tribute to nyan cat, Tron, zombies, and jelly beans. Each Easter egg is themed to fit with the Android version’s release name.
Accessing Android’s Easter Eggs
To access the Easter egg in your version of Android, open the Settings screen and tap About phone or About tablet at the bottom of the screen.
Locate Android’s version number on the about screen and quickly tap it several times. The Easter egg will appear. Look for “Firmware version” instead of “Android version” on Gingerbread.
Jelly Bean (Android 4.1)
Jelly Bean’s Easter egg is a large, red jelly bean. Tap it with your finger and a face will appear.
Long-press the jelly bean and an interactive jelly bean mini-game will appear. A cluster of jelly beans will float around the screen. You can move them around and swipe them off the screen with your finger. This game will never end (unless your battery dies).
Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)
Ice Cream Sandwich’s Easter egg is a pixel-art Android wearing an ice cream sandwich.
Long-press the android and a swarm of androids wearing ice cream sandwiches will start flying across the screen.
This is a tribute to the popular “nyan cat” Internet meme, where a pixelated pop-tart cat flies through space trailed by a rainbow. It’s been dubbed “nyan-droid” by Android fans.
Honeycomb (Android 3)
Honeycomb’s Easter egg also includes art inspired by its code name – a honeybee, in this case. The honeybee is electric blue, in the style of Honeycomb’s other interface elements.
Many people noticed that Android 3’s theme seemed inspired by Tron: Legacy, so it’s no surprise that Honeycomb’s Easter egg includes a Tron reference. The honeybee produces a word bubble with the text “REZZZZZZZ…”. “Rezzing” is a term for creating something in Tron.
Gingerbread (Android 2.3)
Gingerbread’s Easter egg is a zombie-themed painting with a zombie gingerbread man. While the zombified gingerbread man appears to be scary at first, the android doesn’t appear perturbed – in fact, all the zombies appear to be standing around using (Android?) phones.
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Comments (26)
Chris Hoffman is a technology writer and all-around computer geek. He's as at home using the Linux terminal as he is digging into the Windows registry. Connect with him on Google+.
- Published 08/7/12
Does not work on my HTC One X. Any ideas why?
Works great on Samsung S2 Ice cream Sandwich…
This will only work if you are running stock, or close to stock. I know for sure anything with Sense from HTC won’t work.
There must be a purpose to that waste of time. The time for the Easter Egg to be created, the time for you to explain how to access it, and the time I spent going there. I do remember that before computers were available to the public we were told of these wonderful time saving, resource saving devices. When does that start to happen?
Not everything has to be completely utilitarian on a smartphone or tablet, they’re designed to also be entertaining. Google are known for their sense if humour anyway. Stop being so miserable.
Sometimes distractions in life are good – like this. Any knowledge is good knowledge.
Its purpose is to bring a smile to your face. What better possible purpose could there be?
@Geoff You don’t think computers are time saving devices? Really? Written an email recently have you, done online shopping?
It is a time saving device… I do not watch TV anymore :)
@Geoff, you can’t possibly be using computers for that long.
Computer easter eggs are nothing new. Besides, this is a time waster that brings you a smile. If you want to save time, the last thing you’d do is going after this easter egg, which actually requires you to do magic pokes to your phone! :-)
My awesome Samsung Vibrant running ICS is the ultimate time waster and time saver. Thanks for the Easter egg post. I rooted this device and obviously had no idea there were Easter eggs. Who doesn’t love pixel-art Androids flying across your screen?
has somebody test the easter eggs on more versions of android like android 1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut, 2.0, 2.1 Eclair, 2.2 Froyo ?
Hey “wacamole”,
as far as I know, these easter eggs are only present in 2.3 and above. I had an samsung galaxy i5500 (europa) and it had 2.2 (froyo). Nothing happened whan I tapped several times. So I can confirm that froyo has nothing. But after I installed cyanogen mod 7 (gingerbread 2.3.7), I got the zombie picture after tapping on the android version several times :)
Geoff,
The practice predates my story, but in the early 80′s I went to a job interview at HP’s plotter division, (yes, they had some really cool plotters then and a decade before), north of San Diego.
An engineer going into the guts of the firmware pointed out an Easter Egg functionality, invoked with an otherwise undefined key sequence. He proudly showed me this undocumented, and unnecessary, “feature”, saying that almost all the design teams made sure to put “UNDERWARE” into their smart systems.
I got the the art on my new Samsung Galaxy II but I feel shorted on the game.
Model: Motorola Fire XT530
Android Version: 2.3.5
Rapid click “Android Version” info
And walla! The Zombie art appears.
Doesnt work on HTC EVO 3D or i cant tap fast enough??
works on my sony xperia u. brought a smile to my face. :)
There is another hidden eatser egg in the andriod jellybean. if You filp the screen a few times and clear some of the jellybeans away you see an Candy cane ? Could this possibly be the next Andriod OS?
Does not work on an HTC One V (rooted) with Android 4.0.3. I am in Canada, by the way.
Works fine on my fully updated razr maxx! Though a bit hard to bring up the flying droids; it keeps changing droid size for a while; don’t give up, keep trying!
@Ethanator
No, it can’t be candy cane.
It will most likely be Key lime pie, due to the lack of desserts common in America that start with K.
Android version names:
A (no name)
B (no name)
C (Cupcake)
D (Donut)
E (Eclair)
F (Froyo)
G (Gingerbread)
H (Honeycomb)
I (Ice cream sandwich)
J (Jellybean)
with gingerbread i had to tap really fast or it didn’t work
Works on my HTC Droid Incredible running 4.1.1 JellyBean. Sweet.
): Instead of zombie art, “Sony Ericsson” logo comes on and that’s it ):
Hey citrus rain, the first two versions of android were called astro and bender respectivelybefore they switched over to dessert names.